The year 2025 marked the 95th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Turkmen opera singer Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva. The memorable jubilee of the artist, whose fame extended far beyond Turkmenistan, was celebrated both in her hometown of Kerki and in Moscow.
It was symbolic that the opening of the new season of the IX Moscow International Arts Festival "Sounds of Dutar," named after Nury Halmamedov, began with the concert "Turkmen Nightingale," dedicated to this significant date as a tribute to the singer.
The event, held at the Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Russian Academy of Arts "Zurab Tsereteli Gallery," gathered representatives from Turkmenistan's embassy, led by Ambassador Esen Aydogdyev, creative and scientific intellectuals, and members of Moscow's Turkmen diaspora.
The musical program featured various ensembles and soloists, including a mixed choir from the studio of the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the National Guard Forces of the Russian Federation under Valeria Goryunova. Also bright performances were presented by virtuoso pianist Elisei Babanov, soprano Darya Guseynova from "Helikon-Opera," and young violinist Ksenia Cherkasova, Grand Prix winner in the children's category of the VIII "Sounds of Dutar" festival. Joining them were past festival laureates—sopranos Yana Kolomiets, Margarita Gavrilina, Elena Druzhinkina, and Polina Veres. The evening was hosted by renowned conductor and theater pedagogue Evgeny Volkov.
The concert program included selected works from the rich repertoire of the opera diva: arias from European opera classics and romances by Turkmen composers that showcased a harmonious blend of Eastern and Western musical traditions.
Many of those who attended the concert personally knew Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva and warmly shared their memories after the musical part ended. The singer possessed a rare and beautiful voice – a lyric-coloratura soprano, thanks to which she shone in many Turkmen, foreign, and Russian opera productions.
During her performances, the audience was invariably impressed by the vocal mastery of the opera diva, and her voice was compared to the enchanting singing of the bird bilbil – the nightingale. According to Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva's own recollections, this poetic comparison was first made by the famous singer Bela Rudenko, who also had a coloratura soprano.
Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva's creativity inspired many poets to dedicate their poems to her. The outstanding Turkmen composer Nury Halmamedov specially created the vocal-symphonic cycle "Unheard Songs of the Children of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" for her, which can be compared to a mono-opera in terms of acting interpretation. At the anniversary concert, this work, performed by Daria Guseynova, once again evoked a deep emotional response from the listeners.
Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva, the "Turkmen Nightingale," was a true muse for a whole generation of composers. Her unique vocal talent and bright personality had a significant impact, particularly on the composer Mamed Guseynov, the founder of the "Sounds of Dutar" festival.
"My personal admiration for Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva's talent is truly boundless, and this deep respect for her mastery was reflected in our creative collaboration. The result was a diptych based on the poems of Gurbannazar Ezizov, consisting of two connected romances – 'My Love' and 'My Land,'" shared Mamed Guseynov.
As a soloist of the Turkmen State Opera and Ballet Theater named after Magtymguly, Medeniyet Shakhberdiyeva was distinguished by her extraordinary energy, cheerfulness, and always sought to help those around her, showing kindness and responsiveness. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to pedagogical activities at the conservatory, genuinely loved her work, and treated her students with great warmth, instilling in them a love for art.
The competitive part of the "Sounds of Dutar" festival will take place in the fall of this year, with solo performers, ensembles, and choirs expected to participate.
